Bolthole Index

Bolthole Index · Texas

Best Places to Live in Texas

Every Texas county scored on the Bolthole Index for seclusion, self-sufficiency, administrative boringness, durability, property autonomy, and carry cost. Newton County leads at 86/100. Use the rankings to compare counties by score, factor strength, and local constraints.

Nationally, Texas ranks #11 for homesteading and #14 for off-grid living.

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Counties by Index Score

    Off-grid & homestead laws in Texas

    How Texas treats the things that matter for living off-grid or homesteading. State law also feeds each county’s admin, autonomy, and carry factors; rules often vary by county.

    General guidance, not legal advice. Off-grid, building, and land-use rules are often set at the county level and change often. Verify with your county and state before acting. Data reviewed 2026-06-26.

    All 254 Texas counties, ranked

    1. 1Newton County86
    2. 2Rusk County85
    3. 3Cherokee County85
    4. 4Sabine County85
    5. 5Angelina County85
    6. 6Shelby County84
    7. 7Nacogdoches County84
    8. 8Jasper County83
    9. 9San Augustine County83
    10. 10Polk County83
    11. 11Cass County81
    12. 12Anderson County80
    13. 13Robertson County80
    14. 14Houston County80
    15. 15Titus County80
    16. 16Panola County80
    17. 17Tyler County79
    18. 18San Jacinto County78
    19. 19Walker County78
    20. 20Marion County78
    21. 21Red River County76
    22. 22Bowie County76
    23. 23Wood County75
    24. 24Trinity County75
    25. 25Upshur County74
    26. 26Franklin County74
    27. 27Leon County74
    28. 28Liberty County74
    29. 29Morris County73
    30. 30Freestone County73
    31. 31Grimes County72
    32. 32Bee County72
    33. 33Lamar County72
    34. 34Harrison County71
    35. 35Palo Pinto County71
    36. 36Camp County71
    37. 37Burnet County70
    38. 38Mills County70
    39. 39Madison County69
    40. 40Stephens County69
    41. 41Delta County69
    42. 42Fannin County68
    43. 43Lavaca County68
    44. 44Limestone County67
    45. 45Refugio County67
    46. 46San Saba County67
    47. 47Young County67
    48. 48Milam County67
    49. 49Somervell County67
    50. 50Goliad County67
    51. 51Kerr County67
    52. 52Atascosa County67
    53. 53Hopkins County66
    54. 54Van Zandt County66
    55. 55Bosque County66
    56. 56Hardin County66
    57. 57Eastland County66
    58. 58Jack County66
    59. 59Colorado County66
    60. 60Smith County65
    61. 61McCulloch County65
    62. 62Montague County65
    63. 63Rains County65
    64. 64Gillespie County65
    65. 65Aransas County64
    66. 66Mason County64
    67. 67Matagorda County64
    68. 68Victoria County64
    69. 69Hidalgo County64
    70. 70Medina County64
    71. 71Henderson County64
    72. 72Brown County63
    73. 73Orange County63
    74. 74Lampasas County63
    75. 75Jim Wells County63
    76. 76Austin County63
    77. 77Bandera County63
    78. 78Cooke County62
    79. 79Hamilton County62
    80. 80Comanche County62
    81. 81Brazos County62
    82. 82Taylor County62
    83. 83Kendall County62
    84. 84Gregg County62
    85. 85Coke County62
    86. 86Jackson County62
    87. 87La Salle County61
    88. 88Erath County61
    89. 89Frio County61
    90. 90Live Oak County61
    91. 91Kimble County61
    92. 92Coryell County60
    93. 93Wharton County60
    94. 94Starr County60
    95. 95Kinney County60
    96. 96DeWitt County60
    97. 97Real County59
    98. 98Brazoria County59
    99. 99Washington County59
    100. 100Callahan County59
    101. 101Llano County58
    102. 102Webb County57
    103. 103Nolan County57
    104. 104Duval County57
    105. 105Wise County57
    106. 106Uvalde County57
    107. 107Hunt County57
    108. 108Grayson County56
    109. 109Fayette County56
    110. 110Caldwell County56
    111. 111Kleberg County56
    112. 112Cameron County56
    113. 113Falls County55
    114. 114Lee County55
    115. 115Blanco County55
    116. 116Jeff Davis County55
    117. 117Chambers County54
    118. 118Karnes County54
    119. 119Brooks County54
    120. 120Hood County54
    121. 121Edwards County54
    122. 122Gonzales County54
    123. 123Bastrop County54
    124. 124Burleson County53
    125. 125Menard County53
    126. 126Sutton County52
    127. 127Navarro County52
    128. 128Tom Green County51
    129. 129Coleman County51
    130. 130Montgomery County51
    131. 131McMullen County50
    132. 132Hill County50
    133. 133Knox County50
    134. 134Willacy County50
    135. 135Val Verde County50
    136. 136Jones County49
    137. 137Johnson County49
    138. 138Wilson County49
    139. 139Gray County49
    140. 140Jefferson County49
    141. 141Archer County49
    142. 142Calhoun County48
    143. 143Foard County48
    144. 144Fort Bend County48
    145. 145McLennan County48
    146. 146Runnels County48
    147. 147Zapata County48
    148. 148Dimmit County47
    149. 149Maverick County47
    150. 150Parker County47
    151. 151Hardeman County47
    152. 152Concho County47
    153. 153Clay County47
    154. 154Scurry County47
    155. 155Galveston County47
    156. 156Fisher County46
    157. 157Howard County46
    158. 158Kaufman County46
    159. 159Andrews County46
    160. 160Ector County46
    161. 161Crane County45
    162. 162Waller County45
    163. 163Ochiltree County45
    164. 164Ellis County45
    165. 165Schleicher County45
    166. 166Winkler County45
    167. 167Haskell County45
    168. 168Hays County44
    169. 169Bell County44
    170. 170Briscoe County43
    171. 171Wichita County43
    172. 172Floyd County43
    173. 173Irion County43
    174. 174Midland County43
    175. 175Shackelford County43
    176. 176Ward County42
    177. 177Reeves County42
    178. 178Throckmorton County42
    179. 179Pecos County41
    180. 180Kenedy County41
    181. 181Stonewall County41
    182. 182Comal County41
    183. 183Cottle County41
    184. 184Zavala County41
    185. 185Hale County41
    186. 186Presidio County41
    187. 187Baylor County41
    188. 188Bexar County41
    189. 189Sterling County41
    190. 190Hudspeth County41
    191. 191Mitchell County40
    192. 192Wilbarger County40
    193. 193Bailey County40
    194. 194Collin County40
    195. 195Moore County40
    196. 196Brewster County40
    197. 197Randall County40
    198. 198Deaf Smith County40
    199. 199San Patricio County40
    200. 200Donley County40
    201. 201Gaines County40
    202. 202Jim Hogg County40
    203. 203Nueces County40
    204. 204Crosby County40
    205. 205Garza County39
    206. 206Dawson County39
    207. 207Castro County39
    208. 208Wheeler County39
    209. 209Hall County39
    210. 210Childress County39
    211. 211Lamb County39
    212. 212Motley County39
    213. 213Lipscomb County39
    214. 214Crockett County38
    215. 215Travis County38
    216. 216Carson County38
    217. 217Dickens County38
    218. 218Kent County38
    219. 219Collingsworth County38
    220. 220Reagan County38
    221. 221Upton County38
    222. 222Parmer County38
    223. 223Guadalupe County37
    224. 224Sherman County37
    225. 225Harris County37
    226. 226Hemphill County37
    227. 227Hutchinson County37
    228. 228Dallam County37
    229. 229Hockley County37
    230. 230Yoakum County37
    231. 231Hansford County37
    232. 232Cochran County36
    233. 233Terry County36
    234. 234Armstrong County36
    235. 235Williamson County36
    236. 236Lubbock County35
    237. 237Oldham County35
    238. 238King County35
    239. 239Swisher County35
    240. 240Roberts County35
    241. 241Hartley County35
    242. 242Potter County34
    243. 243Lynn County34
    244. 244Martin County34
    245. 245Borden County34
    246. 246Glasscock County33
    247. 247Dallas County33
    248. 248Terrell County33
    249. 249Tarrant County32
    250. 250El Paso County31
    251. 251Culberson County31
    252. 252Loving County31
    253. 253Denton County29
    254. 254Rockwall County28

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